On a rainy day or sick day, I love to curl up with Annabelle and read books in bed. Last week during an especially icky patch of rainy days, we read Kit Allen’s board book Galoshes which inspired me (and Annabelle) to build this nifty sailboat out of an empty milk carton. To create our sailboat, we followed these instructions from Create-Kids-Crafts.com.
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About 20 minutes later, our milk carton sailboat set sail in our bathtub. Sadly, the mast and sail could not endure rough waters (from a very nasty storm made by one feisty toddler); fortunately, the milk carton hull can survive almost anything–from large waves and storms to ship wrecks and sinking. Oh, and this boat sails beautifully too.

Creating toys from trash has been a lot of fun and has me brainstorming new ways to reinvent “stuff” from egg cartons to broken balloons. Another great side effect is that being creative beats boredom, lethargy, and relieves stress for me. I am happy to have stumbled upon these recycled art projects. More to come!

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An easy way to make old shirts new again (or consignment and vintage purchases re-styled) is to jazz it up with an iron-on. I originally came across the wonders of iron-ons while brainstorming how to create text in a homemade fabric baby book. While my fabric baby book is still a project in the works, learning how to create a one of a kind garment for myself and my little one has given me a no-sew option to updating old clothing.

When we choose to purchase used clothing or make donations to consignment and thrift shops, we are helping to reduce the cost of waste disposal as well as the natural resources consumed in the life of a product. From the U.S. E.P.A.:

Waste is not just created when consumers throw items away. Throughout the life cycle of a product from extraction of raw materials to transportation to processing and manufacturing facilities to manufacture and use waste is generated. Reusing items or making them with less material decreases waste dramatically. Ultimately, less materials will need to be recycled or sent to landfills or waste combustion facilities.

And when you refashion used items to suit your own styles, not only will you look hip but you’ll feel good about your threads too. Iron on transfers can be used on anything from onesies and tees to fabric bags, pillows, pillow cases, and fabric covered containers.

I created the iron on tee “Barack and Roll Baby” by sprucing up a photo of my favorite candidate for U.S. President with Photoshop Elements and then adding text.

What kinds of projects have you  created (or would like to) using iron on transfers? Do you have any easy tips for refashioning old clothing and stuff? I’d love to hear, as always.

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After picking our own peaches this past weekend in Berryville, Virginia, my husband and I prepared ourselves for a first try with canning and freezing. Oh boy was it work! I think the hardest part was removing the skin, which, while made easier by blanching the peaches, still took the bulk of our time and energy. The best part about canning peaches though, in my opinion, is the delicious aroma of peaches and spice throughout the house.

Since we are beginner canners, we referenced 2 articles on canning. One article comes from my green friend Elizabeth, whose tips on canning were not only useful but detailed in such a way that I knew what to look and listen for (the sound of my cans popping when sealed was music to my ears! Thanks Elizabeth!). To create the recipe for my peach jam, I followed another article: Recipe Zaar’s Peach Jam Recipe. All together, the canning process took me about 2 1/2 to 3 hours from start to finish. It was quite an enjoyable way to spend an afternoon with the family, and the rewards this winter, I am sure, will be well worth the time and effort.

In addition to canning our peaches and making peach jam, my husband and I portioned off about 8 lbs. of peaches for freezing, which is a little bit easier than canning (although you still need to blanch the peaches and remove the skin). Here are a few tips on freezing your fruit. I can’t wait for winter smoothies and vegan fruit jello! Yum!

Hopefully we’ll continue with our canning and freezing in a couple of weeks when more apples are in season. On a final note, I think it is a good idea to invest in a pair of jar lifters (metal tongs are not necessarily the safest way to handle hot jars and it’s a little bit tricky to do too).

As always, I’d love to hear your thoughts on jarring, freezing, and preserving foods for the winter. Thanks for sharing!

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Repurposing jars and cans is one of the simplest ways to reduce packaging waste, and the bonus is being able to create adorable containers to use around the house. Over the weekend, our family created 2 paper covered paint brush and pen containers out of an old soup can and a nut butter jar. Since this project is super easy, older children and teens can have an afternoon of fun making stylish containers for their school and art supplies. Here’s what we made:

the sky is the limit pen container (for my hubby’s desk)

a daisy paint brush holder for my crafting table

a no nonsense toothbrush holder. Plus, I like how this (practical) glass jar looks too. Who needs the Container Store?

Of course, there are many, many ways to reuse and repurpose jars and cans. Later today I’ll show you how our family made use of glass jars to preserve food for the coming winter.

What are some of your favorite ways to reuse jars and cans? Do you or your kiddos create neat crafts with them? Has your family found a way to reduce jar and can consumption? I’d love to hear your ideas!

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As mentioned previously here on Green Mamma, my husband Matt is becoming quite the cycling enthusiast, something that he got started with to make his commute more enjoyable and because it’s good for his heart.  Like any new athlete, he is loving the physical and mental effects of exercise, but that is not to say that his sport is not without its challenges.  To read more about my husband’s trials with biking (and a little bit about our family’s adjusting to a totally green lifestyle), head on over to 5 Minutes for Going Green to read “Hitting the Wall.”

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Thrifting is one of my favorite parts about living green; not only is it a terrific way to save money (especially for a single income family like ours) but it’s a great way to keep materials in the cycle of use (and out of landfills).

Last week Annabelle and stopped by one small shop tucked away onto a backroad where I found 2 vintage crafting books (I am especially excited about one entitled Winter Book, with a number of activities and green living ideas for cold weather and time spent indoors with kids), a couple of Melissa and Doug learning activities (great resources for our homeschooling adventures), a cardigan, and checkered curtains for our kitchen (I have been searching thrift shops and the Goodwill for over a year now to find these! If I were a better seamstress, I would have made my own curtains, but sadly, I will have to admire all you fabric goddesses out there who create beautiful items available on Etsy).

So here are my new, well used, curtains! Not only do I love my curtains (they were well worth the wait), but they are hand made too.

What about you? Do you frequent thrift, consignment, and other secondhand stores? What are your favorite finds? Has thrifting helped you cut costs or enhance your creativity? How else does your family help reduce waste? Do share in the comments. Thanks!

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Annabelle has always seemed to march to the beat of her own drum, so we made her her very own drum, made from a repurposed oatmeal container and a popped balloon. Now she marches around the house, banging and making beats, all the while celebrating her drum’s head (made from a popped balloon) by shouting, “Ball, ball!”

To make your own repurposed drum, you’ll need an empty oatmeal container, a popped balloon, decorative paper, paper scraps, scissors, and packing tape.

1. First you’ll want to wipe and clean out the oatmeal container. Then cut out the bottom so that you have a hollow tube.

2. Cut off the bottom of your broken/deflated balloon. Stretch it across one end of the “oatmeal” tube. Use packing tape to hold in place.

3. Using the other end of the tube, trace a circle on your scrap paper (allowing for a larger diameter than the actual tube). This circle will become the other end of your drum. Again, hold in place using packing tape.

4. Wrap decorative paper around the tube or use construction paper that your kiddos have customized with crayons, paints, glitter, etc. Hold decorative paper in place with either packing tape or white glue.

5. Sing, play music, and dance. Let your little one set the beat with his/her new drum!

What other uses have you found for empty oatmeal containers?  Have you created any toys out of repurposed packing for your children or someone else’s?  Please share your ideas in the comments.

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A tell tale sign of any family’s commitment to the environment is whether or not they recycle. Since many communities and waste treatment facilities offer free recycling bins, it is always a wonder to me when I notice a house without one.

Recently I stumbled across one of the smartest ways to encourage recycling in every household: Pay as You Throw garbage collection programs. As a unit based approach to garbage collection, Pay as You Throw offers a financial incentive to households to reduce the amount of garbage they produce and to find alternative and environmentally friendly ways to manage their trash.

Coinciding with my discovery of the Pay as You Throw programs (in over 4,000 communities across the U.S.), are our children’s’ return to school. In honor of our kiddos going back to school (or resuming home studies) and inspired by SouleMama’s 30 Days of Summer project, I am hosting a 10 day mini project over here at Green Mamma to encourage creativity, recycling, and waste reduction.

Over the next 2 weeks, you can expect 10 days of trash talking; basically, I will share tips for repurposing household items, prolonging trash from entering the solid waste stream, and creating fun projects to do with your kids. As always, I am looking to learn a thing or two myself, so I welcome your comments and tips for reusing and repurposing old stuff to make new stuff and ultimately stopping lots of stuff from winding up in the landfill. I invite you to join me in my quest to talk trash. I’d love the morale boost and plus, it’s always fun to have some company when doing good deeds for Mamma Earth.

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If you have a minute, I have 2 new posts over at 5 Minutes for Going Green.  Check out “5 Minute Miracles” and  “Healthy Green Pets.”

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